Statue is not a war memorial

Published 5:30 pm, Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Statue is not a war memorial

To the editor:

I have been interested in The Advocate articles concerning the vandalism of my father's statue in Czescik Memorial Park.

This sculpture was never intended to be a war memorial. It is incorrect to say that this statue, "Neighbors" was inspired by my dad's childhood experience watching men drafted into war as reported in The Advocate's March 29 issue.

My dad carved three war memorials. They are the World War II Memorial at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., the U.S. Military Cemetery in Carthage, North Africa, and the Eagle War Memorial in front of the Essex, CT., town hall.

My dad was commissioned by the WPA to carve two statues for the Stamford Housing Project. They were put in place in 1938. "Neighbors" was sculpted by Dad to represent the friendships that would be established at the project.

Does the name "Neighbors" sound like a war memorial to you?

At no time did my dad refer to the statue as a war memorial. I never heard my stepmother refer to it as a memorial after his death. I just wanted to clarify this error.

I want to thank The Advocate for its concern over the terrible destruction of my dad's sculpture. I am hopeful that the head of my mother will be found and that the statue can be replaced.

The Advocate, April 10: "Parker Liautaud, with help from the General Electric Co., is going to the top of the world to raise awareness about environmental issues facing our planet. ... Some 20 miles of open water separated Parker from his goal of reaching the North Pole on Friday evening, so a helicopter was deployed to transport him to the top of the world and his goal."

So much for raising awareness of the environment.

It just amazes me that all of the non-green resources and energies that go into this type of "awareness raising" get press. A 15-year-old kid should be designing a better LED solution rather than wasting resources with a supposedly green GE-sponsored trek to the North Pole.

Santa Claus is a better demonstration of green. He uses reindeer to power a sled.

I am a Stamford resident, living in North Stamford off of Scofieldtown Road. I commute into the city every day using Metro-North. The most convenient train station to me is the Talmadge Hill train station in New Canaan. On April 1, New Canaan increased the non-resident parking rate to $5 per day from $3 per day, a 66 percent increase. The increase, though the first in six years, comes with no explanation and no improvements or additions to non-resident parking facilities. In fact, New Canaan has increased its resident parking capacity in the last year by close to 50 percent at Talmadge Hill while not increasing the cost of resident parking permits.

Currently, the cost of a resident parking permit at Talmadge Hill is $396 per year. That's $33 per month. A non-resident who parks every weekday pays the equivalent of $110 per month or $1,320 per year. The math is simple, non-residents (or those with no permits) must pay 3 1/3 times more to park. Other parking facilities along this route continue to charge $3 per day for non-resident/no-permit parking.

New Canaan has raised parking rates on non-residents (or those waiting for permits) to pay for improvements to resident parking facilities. It is unfair that costs to improve parking facilities for residents -- with no improvements for non-residents -- be borne by non-resident (or non-permit) parkers. The Metro-North train service that runs through New Canaan is not merely for the benefit of New Canaan residents. This train service is necessary for a good number of residents in Darien and Stamford too. What is more fair and more logical is that resident parking permit costs should increase and non-resident parking costs should not.

Jeff Klearman

Stamford

Litter bugged

To the editor:

I find it absolutely appalling that in this day and age, with all our modern conveniences, people by and large cannot be bothered with simple responsibilities. On a recent afternoon drive, I couldn't help but notice all the trash littering the roadside. I even saw freshly tossed bags of trash from a local fast food chain, likely purchased at the drive though, in an area that was completely cleaned just two days prior.

There's no reason for this disgusting practice to take place. I encourage all employers and parents, as well as schools, to print, post and/or hand this out at their jobs or schools.

It's time to make these slobs realize there's simply no place for this behavior in our society. There is always a trash can somewhere close by, be it at a gas station, park, convenience store, parking garage, bus stop, etc. And if there isn't, they can always take it home.

Maybe the police can even subsidize their monthly ticket quota handing out tickets to these pigs!

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